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•Chapter 14 •
I lift my head off the cushiony pillow, sitting up in a sitting position. The sunlight shining through the window embraces me, welcoming me to a new day. I stretch my arms high above my head, unconsciously smiling as I swing my legs over the side of the bed. My hair tumbles in front of my face as I lean forward and touch my toes as I stretch some more. Sighing happily, I straighten up and look around.
Reisi's isn't present in the room and his bed is nicely made, which means he is already in his office. He's always up before me. I thought I was an early bird but Reisi has me beat. I hop onto my feet blissfully.
I am in an exceedingly good mood this morning. My sleep was dreamless but refreshing, which was just what I needed. Flexing my ankles, I stroll over to his closet.
The bamboo floor is cold, nipping at my bare feet with each step I take. The sensation is not that far off from walking on ice. I slide his closet door open, flicking on the light switch before my eyes scan over his garments. I'm looking for one thing in particular. Bingo. I grab a pair of black ankle socks.
I drop onto my bottom and slide the cushioned socks on, smiling as they spontaneously warm up my freezing toes. Something brushes against the top of my head and I turn around to see one of Reisi's Pirate coats. I stare at it. Snickering to myself, I yank it off the coat hanger and put it on as well. I stand up and button it up as I turn the lights off, closing the door as I exit.
This coat is so comfy and flowy. The speed of walking alone causes it to flare out behind me. It makes me feel… elegant. The color blue is growing on me. Actually, the whole Pirate Crew is growing on me quite a bit. They are slowly edging their way into my heart. I abruptly wave my hand in the air, dismissing my thoughts and entering Reisi's office.
My eyes are drawn to Reisi. He's sitting at his desk and doing a puzzle as always. Man he loves those things.
"You and your complicated puzzles." I remark, causing him to look over at me. His eyes immediately land on his coat that is in my possession.
"I should've known you would steal my coat." He speculates, turning his attention back to his puzzle he is clearly into. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yup. I've slept better than I have in a long time actually." I answer, walking over to his desk and eyeing his puzzle. It looks like just a bunch of trees.
"I can tell. It is past noon." He picks up a puzzle piece and my mouth drops open.
"Noon?!" I yelp.
Have I really slept that long? Yesterday must of drained me more than I thought. It's true I haven't been nearly as active I use to be, so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. But…
"You mean… I slept through breakfast? And lunch?" I pout, bringing my hand over my growling stomach. I need some food. Reisi reaches over and grabs a green apple that was sitting on the corner of his desk, holding it out to me. Eagerly and thankfully, I take it. Green apples are my favorite apples.
"Ms. Awashima should be arriving shortly with some lunch." He says, smiling as I take a large bite out of the juicy fruit. I walk over and plop down in my usual chair, crossing my legs.
"Did anyone catch those Scallywag criminals last night?" I ask, wiping excess apple juice from my chin.
"That's what we plan on discussing over lunch." He answers, wedging a puzzle piece into the partially completed puzzle.
"Okey-dokey." I reply after I swallow, my eyes suddenly landing on his saber propped up against his desk. "So what was up with that giant haunted sword?"
"You mean the Sword of Damocles?" He smiles in amusement, looking up from his puzzle.
"Yeah whatever that thing is called." I roll my eyes, rotating my half eaten apple in my hand and making the sun gleam off of it. "What does it do?"
"It's the symbol of a King, appearing whenever I access my powers." He explains and I nod my head. So I guess all Kings have it?
"So it just hovers there, bypassing the rules of gravity." I state, taking another bite from the green fruit.
"It is very possible for it to fall."
"What?" I blink in surprise. "Isn't that a little… I don't know, scary?"
"It happens when a King reaches their limit. In other words, when they start losing control of their power. Their Sword of Damocles will start to decay and crumble as a result, then their sword would come crashing down, killing them and everyone within a certain radius. The Kagutsu Crater incident is the most recent occurrence of a Damocles Down, 14 years ago."
Whoa. My eyes are wide in surprise. That happened when I was 4 years old. An image of his Sword of Damocles flashes through my mind.
"Your sword is in good condition… isn't it?" I ask, my voice wavering slightly. I don't think I've seen any cracks on his sword.
"It's in top shape."
I sigh in relief at his words, a smile following soon afterwards. "Oh that's good because—" I stop when I look up and meet his awaiting gaze. "Uh…"
"Because?" He smiles an eye-catching smile as he urges me to continue.
That smile instantly makes me remember the feeling of his fingers brushing my hair aside. My heart flutters vigorously. I bring my hand to my chest, my fingers curling into the fabric of my coat. A light dusting of pink sprouts out across my cheeks as I look down at the apple core in my hand, digging for an answer.
I hear the sliding of his chair as he gets up along with his footsteps. I refuse to look up. His boots enter my line of sight and I gulp. No way is he going to let me out of this one. His hand grips the windowsill behind me while his other folds behind his back. He leans forward, making me lean back further in my seat. I almost feel compelled to move closer to him. Darn him. He has me trapped. A nervous drop of sweat rolls down the side of my face as I clear my throat.
"J-Just because!" I retort, looking up at him with a hard-headed gaze with my pulse racing in my ears. He gazes right back at me with a smug expression. I stick my tongue out stubbornly. We then enter a staring contest. I barely hear the knock at the door.
My eyes follow Reisi's body as he moves to answer it. I pick a seed out of the apple core, holding it up in front of me. There is a small crack in it. I frown to myself.
Because, if anything were to happen to you… I would be sad.
I groan loudly, throwing my head back so I'm glaring at the ceiling as Awashima comes in the room. She holds a plastic bag full of what I hope to be good food. She raises her eyebrow at me and Reisi merely adjusts his glasses with a knowing smile.
Swiftly I get out of the chair to throw away my trash. "Darn Pirate King… making me feel all… tingly." I mutter to myself, staring into the trash can.
"Did you say something, Akira?" Reisi asks. I look over to see him taking his boots off before he sits in his little tea area. Awashima is doing the same.
"Nothing at all." I reply with a false grin. Definitely nothing you needed to hear.
I watch as Awashima sits down and pulls some food items out of the bag while Reisi begins to work his magic with making tea. I perk up slightly and creep my way over. His tea is by far my most favorite beverage.
I step onto the mini platform that is apart of the tea area, crawling past Awashima and over to Reisi. He is pouring some tea leaves into a bowl while the water boils. I want to witness how he makes the magical tea. Awashima pulls out some japanese dumplings, making my mouth water.
Oh yes.
Reisi grabs a small whisk and begins to grind the leaves, breaking them into small pieces until they almost look like powder. How interesting. I lean a little closer, trying to see if I can catch the leaves scent. I'm practically leaning over the bowl to study it. Reisi smiles in amusement, moving it so I can see it better.
"What were the reports from last night?" Reisi asks Awashima as he continues his work.
"Well, to sum it up, each Squad failed in their pursuit, due in part to the inclement weather. And so far, no suspect has been identified on the traffic surveillance system." She informs, pulling a can out of the plastic bag.
"I see. Not only did he manage to get away from me, he was also able to get away from Akira with the help of the Strain, despite her being able to outmatch their speed effortlessly." I watch as his movements gradually begin to grow slower. Eventually, he puts down the whisk and straightens up, causing me to look up at him with a pout. He looks over at Awashima. "Additionally, he was also able to outwit Fushimi who was heading out the pursuit. His ability to stay under the radar until now was no fluke."
Staying under the radar is my specialty. That Jack Frost of a Colorless King is stealing my style.
"At present, we are retracing his possible escape route, and eliminating our perimeter around Ashinaka High School." Awashima explains as she begins dumping the whole contents of the can on the wonderful dumplings, ruining their beautiful appearance.
As she does it, my face slowly morphs into disgust. Is that red bean paste? Well, it doesn't look as bad as my pasta at least. I visibly shiver as I recall eating it. Reisi looks at Awashima's plate, face unreadable. That's the same face he used on my pasta.
"Apprehending him is becoming a tall order. This kid is extremely difficult to pin down, and on top of that, the two traveling with him have proven to be quite a handful." Reisi says, looking away from the ruined dumplings.
"Darn right." I comment. "Stupid cat…" I mutter more to myself than them.
Awashima puts the plate in front of Reisi. I look up at him. His glasses are gleaming so I can't see his eyes, but his lips are somewhat angled downwards. Awashima nods at him and I have to bite my thumb to keep myself from laughing.
We all stare at the plate, and me being me, scoops some of the paste up with my finger. Reisi turns to look at me as I taste it, his glasses no longer gleaming. His face is visibly sickened as I put my paste covered finger in my mouth. It tastes… sweet. Way too sweet. And don't even get me started on the aftertaste. I remove my finger from my mouth in distaste.
"What is with you and eating disgusting things…?" Reisi mutters so only I can hear.
"I've always made it a point in my life to expand my food horizons once in awhile." I mutter back just before a knock sounds at the door.
"Fushimi reporting, Captain." Fushimi calls from outside.
"Please come in Fushimi." Reisi calls back, looking over at the door.
"What do you have for us?" Awashima looks over at the door as Fushimi walks in.
"I regret to inform you that a member of our pursuit team was attacked and subsequently transported back to Headquarters." Fushimi answers in his normal lazy voice. I am starting to find him kind of funny.
"What unit was he in? And at exactly what time was he attacked?" Awashima asks. Fushimi pulls a tablet out of his jacket.
"Chikushi was in the Third Division in the East District. It occurred about fifteen minutes ago." Fushimi answers.
"The status of his condition?" Awashima asks further.
"Mostly just minor contusions, but unfortunately his PDA was stolen."
My mouth forms an 'o' shape and Awashima gasps silently.
"That could pose a problem." Reisi speaks up. I hear the sound of Fushimi tapping on the tablet's screen.
"I'm pulling up his assigned areas right now." He informs and a giant hologram screen appears off to the side of the room. The screen is displaying a map with multiple blue dots where Chikushi has been.
"Was the officer able to identify his assailant?" Reisi inquires.
"It was our old nemesis the Black Dog. Officer Chikushi said he didn't see the other two."
Darn that Scurvy Dog. I glower at the messed up dumplings. Darn those three Scallywags. I can't wait until I see them again. There is so much I would like to say and do.
"I don't get it… what connection does Kuroh Yatogami have to the suspect?" Awashima asks quietly.
Reisi rather smoothly pushes the plate of dumplings away from him while she's too busy pondering over her own question. I smile at how slick he is. He places his hands neatly back in his lap like nothing has happened.
"It makes no sense…" Awashima continues.
"It is a little strange how he would just attack one of your officers like that, considering how desperate that Scurvy Dog was to escape last night along with those other Scallywags." I contemplate out loud.
I mean come on now, that cat girl made me run out a window. Not to mention the look of terror on Jack Colorless Frost's face when he seen me coming at them.
"I agree." She looks over at me and I nod.
"I don't think it was an actual attack, it was contact." Reisi states. I blink at him, feeling envious of his brain. Awashima looks over as well. "Fushimi, check the report. Was anything left at the incident that might be a possible message from these guys?"
"There was one item." Fushimi taps the tablet again and an image appears on the holographic screen. It is a picture of a wrinkly note with the number '1400' written on it. My head inclines to the side as I study it further. 14:00? The time? I look at the corner of the holographic screen. It is 13:45 right now.
"Now it makes sense." Reisi says, looking over at Awashima. She pulls out her phone then looks over at Fushimi.
"Fushimi, why don't you come over and take a seat?" She asks.
"Uh…" Fushimi looks at the bean paste covered dumplings, not budging from his spot in front of the door. There is a noticeable drop of sweat on his face as he stares at the plate in disgust. "I'm fine… right here."
I cough into my fist.
"Very well. Alert the squad standing by at Headquarters that they need to get ready for emergency deployment." Awashima orders.
"Right." Fushimi straightens up, banishing his disgusted face. And that's when the waiting game begins.
Fushimi is on his phone and giving orders to the standby squad. Reisi is sitting with his arms crossed, eyes closed while he waits for the time to pass. Awashima also has her eyes closed. I stretch my legs out in front of me, leaning back on my hands and glancing between the both of them.
Does having your eyes closed make time pass by faster?
I wiggle my toes that are enclosed in my socks before looking over at the fresh matcha tea powder. It looks like green sand. I guess having tea will have to wait until these fifteen minutes are up. I hold back a disappointed sigh, tapping my feet together while humming an American tune in my head. Fifteen minutes is equivalent to… three or four songs.
I am in the middle of my fourth song when the clock reads 14:00. Shortly afterwards, I can make out the sound of a phone ringing. The sudden sound makes me jump. Awashima, Fushimi, and me look over at Reisi. He reaches in his pocket, pulling out his phone and taking it out of its case. He brings the phone up to his ear, face calm and composed.
"Captain Munakata speaking. Who is this?" Reisi asks, opening his eyes. I sit up on my knees and lean closer to him to see if I can hear, frowning when I can't.
"I had a hunch you might be calling. I'm wondering why you orchestrated such an aggressive maneuver to make contact." Reisi replies with a smile. Is he talking to Jack Colorless Frost?
I lean away from Reisi and turn my attention to Awashima who is pressing buttons on her phone. Reisi raises his hand in the air, signalling for Fushimi to go. He bows slightly then exits the room. I wonder, are they tracking tracking his phone signal?
Reisi starts talking about a man in an airship right when Awashima starts talking on her phone. I can't focus on what either one of them are saying due to the fact they are talking at the same time. So much is going on. So much action. I start messing with my fingers in anticipation. I want in on some action. I look between both of their phones. I want a phone too…
I stare deeply into the bowl of matcha tea powder. It is one of those hard stares that are kind of like you are stuck in a trance. I snap out of my mini trance when I hear Reisi speak in an authorized tone.
"I am declaring that I, Reisi Munakata, the Fourth and Blue King, will detain the man from the airship as requested by you. This person is also known as Adolf K. Weismann. You may not know this but he is the First and Silver King."
"Say what?" I blurt out, eyebrows raised in surprise. The Pirates are going to detain an astronaut now? How are they going to accomplish that? Awashima looks over in surprise too.
"If you're still up for it, come visit us. We'll sit down together and talk. However, there is a prerequisite that must first be met. Understand, I shall acquire that all three of you turn yourselves in." With those final words, Reisi hangs up.
I safely confirm he was talking to the Colorless King. Me and Awashima stare at him in silence, shocked at what he just agreed to do. I'm the first to speak.
"So Reisi, how are you going to accomplish kidnapping a spaceman? What's the plan?" I ask, crossing my arms with an lazy expression. I don't see how this is going to work at all. Reisi puts his phone back in his pocket, turning to me with a smile.
"Leave the planning to the Pirates."
I gape at his words, then laugh loudly. I elbow his side lightly and playfully.
"There you go, you Pirate King you." I snicker. He shakes his head then looks at Awashima.
"Ms. Awashima, can you get everyone ready to head out to the local airport?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Reisi, can you finish your tea now?"
Me and Reisi walk side by side down the hallway. I hold a steaming styrofoam cup in my hands. It is filled to the top with Reisi's incredible green tea. I bring the cup up to my lips, taking a long drink while humming in content. I couldn't help but to take some to go. The earthy and calming tea flows down my throat, soothing my insides. Awashima is further down the hall, talking to the squad that went out to try to catch Jack Colorless Frost while him and Reisi talked on the phone, which of course ended in failure.
"Enjoying my tea are you, Akira?" Reisi asks with a smirk. He's teasing me, I can tell. I guess I am openly in love with it. I'm like in my own little tea world here. I lower the cup from my lips.
"I'm more than enjoying it. I love your tea. It's the best I've ever had." I look up at him with a bashful smile, realizing that's probably the first complement I actually have given him. His violet eyes soften and something in me stirs.
"Captain, everything is under preparation to leave. Some squads are currently outside filling the trucks up with gas. Once they are finished we will be ready to depart." Awashima turns to us as we approach.
"Good." He replies as I walk over to the Pirates who are lined up.
"There's my little Typhoon!" Dōmyōji beams at me, holding out his hand for a high-five. I grin back.
"Typhoon?" I question, though slapping my hand against his.
"Yeah, yesterday you blasted off so fast everyone got hit with a strong gust of wind! You are freaking amazing! And how you twisted through the air was just cool, you show off." Dōmyōji winks at me. All the Pirate's eyes are on me, making me become flustered.
"Yeah, your speed in unbelievable." I recognize Daiki's voice.
He is offering a small smile. The intimidating guy is smiling at me as well. He doesn't seem like someone who is capable of a smile. Akiyama and Benzai nod at me, along with a young man with black hair pulled back in a ponytail at the neck. He looks like the shy type. Another Pirate nods at me as well; he has green eyes and dark blue hair. Fushimi is just looking at me with an unreadable face, but it isn't his usually annoyed one. A blush paints its way on my cheeks at all the attention and praise and I look down at my cup.
"Thank you guys." I say shyly in a voice much smaller than I would've liked. I'm not used to being praised like this. I look back up at them with a proud grin however. A hand places itself on my shoulder and I look over to see Reisi with a smile. Even more warmth builds up in my cheeks.
"I guess you were cool." Hidaka says, stepping towards me with a challenging glint in his eyes.
The blush fades off my face and I gulp down the rest of my tea. I give him a sly smile and hold my empty cup out to Reisi. He just stares at it. My eyes meet his for a short moment and I shake the cup until he takes it with a sigh. I look back at Hidaka.
"Thanks, Loser." I taunt, turning to Awashima. "How long will it take for all the trucks to be gassed up?"
"Perhaps twenty or so minutes." She answers, blinking in confusion at my question. I turn back to Hidaka.
"That's more than enough time. Well, for me at least." I jibe.
"Same here, Seal." He crosses his arms. Seal? My eyes narrow.
"You will walk the plank for that."
"Loser walks the plank, deal?" Hidaka smirks
"Deal." I sneer and turn to Reisi, folding my arms behind my back with an eager smile. "Permission for a quick spar, Cap'n?"
"Wait, you guys were serious?" Dōmyōji looks between me and Hidaka with a disbelieving look.
"Permission granted." Reisi smiles, pushing his glasses further up his nose.
The training room represents a traditional japanese dojo. The floors are a pearl white and the blue Scepter 4 insignia is engraved dead in the center. There is an enormously large window that takes up most of the creamy stone wall, providing the perfect view of the yard outside and letting in more than enough natural light.
You see, when I envisioned this spar, I just pictured me and Hidaka in this room, not the whole main Pirate Crew. Reisi, Awashima, Fushimi, Akiyama, Benzai, Kamo, Dōmyōji, Enomoto, Daiki, and Gotō all stand along the wall, ready to watch. Fushimi is the only bored looking one. At first I was nervous with being watched by so many eyes, but when I got my sparring equipment I felt all giddy.
Me and Hidaka are in the center of the room, standing a good starting distance away from one another. I place my hand over my temporary bamboo saber that is strapped at my left hip. I giggle happily. I feel like an actual pirate. Perhaps I am too excited, but I don't care. I am having fun already and the battle didn't even start. Plus, Awashima was kind enough to let my use one of her hair ties, allowing me to be able to have my hair back in a high and wavy ponytail.
Hidaka however looks beyond focused and ready to win. His eyes are serious as they peer at me. He probably wants to look good in front of his King and Lieutenant, along with his buddies. Can't blame him for that. I guess it would be embarrassing for him to get beat by a girl. I jab my finger at him.
"Just so you know, I watched a lot of action packed Pirate films so don't underestimate me!" I call over in an overly dramatic tone.
"Woohoo! Go Akira!" Dōmyōji cheers. I look over and give him a thumbs up, then my eyes lock with Reisi's.
He looks very interested to see this spar. As he should be. I don't plan on going down that easily. Sword fighting can't be all that hard, right? I give him a double thumbs up with a confident smile that is so wide it hurts my cheeks. My smile grows impossibly wider as he holds up his hand, forming a peace sign.
The other Pirates are talking among themselves, probably making bets on who will win. I turn my attention back to Hidaka who is drawing his bamboo saber. He performs an impressive twirl/slash combo before positioning his sword in front of his face vertically. Okay then, Mr. Cool.
"Hidaka, ready for battle." He smirks at me as I start to draw my sword. I can be fancy too. Watch this you Pirate.
I pull my sword fully out of its sheath and perform a toss arm swing. My move is only successful because I manipulate the air currents around me… but they don't need to know that. I catch my sword by the hilt mid twirl, raising it skyward before slowly lowering it so the tip is pointing at Hidaka. I smirk.
"Yukimura… ready for battle." I use Scepter 4's battle line, grinning to myself. I'm a Pirate! I almost jump up and down in place in my sudden excitement.
"Impressive." Hidaka compliments in a surprised tone.
"Didn't expect that, did ya?" I stick my tongue out, winking at him.
"Does she have experience with a sword?" I barely hear Awashima ask Reisi. I look over at them both. Reisi seems to be contemplating about that, looking at me almost curiously.
"None at all." I call out to them sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck before turning back to Hidaka.
"Get ready to walk to plank." He uses my words against me.
I squeak as he charges at me with unexpected speed. I fumble with the sword in my hand, narrowly blocking his slash in time. He's strong! It takes a lot of focus and strength to push him away from me. He swings his sword out again and I duck behind him, creating some distance between us. I shakily point my sword at him in what I hope is a threatening way. I gulp as I glance at my visibly trembling sword. My nervousness is showing.
"How come Pirates make this look so easy?" I ramble under my breath. Sword fighting is actually a whole lot harder than it looks, and it doesn't look easy either. I glare at Hidaka.
"I thought you said you could easily beat me up?" He taunts much like he did when we first met. He twirls his sword in his hand. I narrow my eyes at him. Darn him.
"Come on Akira, you got this!" Dōmyōji encourages, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Just relax!"
I really do appreciate his encouragement, but…
"Easier said than done." I whine as Hidaka slashes his sword at me again. I bring my sword up to block it, cursing as I nearly lose my grip on the handle. His hits are so strong it's almost unfair. I need to start doing push-ups. I grit my teeth as I jump backwards to avoid being hit. I briefly allow one of my hands let go of the sword so I can shake out my achy wrist before grasping it again. This is kind of painful.
"How do you guys make this look so easy?" I call over to my spectators.
"Practice." Daiki replies.
"And focus." Akiyama adds on coolly.
Well clearly I have zero practice but focusing is something I can do. Time to dig out my street skills from my brain. My eyes glaze over in thought.
Clearly his physical strength is way beyond mine, but I have the advantage of speed. I refuse to use my powers in this fight though. I want to keep it fair. He isn't using his aura after all. I've always been naturally fast even without my Strain abilities, and I've always relied on my legs to get to places.
Out of the corner of my eye I can see Reisi looking at me intently, probably wondering how I will handle this situation. I have no clue what I'm doing, but I don't want to look too pathetic. I nod to myself.
I'll have to be nimble and agile to win. I have to be stealthy and sneaky… that is my specialty. No way am I going to walk the plank. I adjust my sword so I'm holding it in a reverse grip. I don't think I ever used my brain this much in a fight before. This time, I charge at him.
Hidaka shifts his weight, raising his sword for an attack. I get in his striking range before dropping and sliding across the slick floor. I slide behind him and swing my sword back at his heels, making him lose his footing and tumble to the ground with a grunt. With a victory laugh, I hop back onto my feet and I openly point at him.
"Ha! Almost just like how I knocked you down before— Oof!" I yelp as my feet are swiped out from underneath me. Way to go me. I let my guard down.
Hidaka is already back on his feet which isn't all that surprising since he is proficient in swordsmanship along with the rest of the Pirate Crew. I roll out of the way before his sword can make contact with me and perform a backwards somersault, hopping back on my feet.
He comes running at me, making me have to go on the defensive. His slashes and lunges are being used at great speed. They just keep on coming. He's so good and I'm so terrible.
My eyes lock onto his bamboo saber as I sidestep his moves, flipping backwards when he thrusts his sword forward in a stabbing motion. I twirl around his many slashes and cuts, unconsciously smiling at his frowning face.
"She's very agile." Benzai says from the sidelines, obviously impressed.
"But she isn't going in for an attack." Kamo points out, arms crossed.
"She said she hasn't used a sword before. She probably doesn't know how to attack with it." Daiki studies my movements.
I fight back a blush as I realize how closely they are all watching. These Pirates are so observant, and Daiki is right. I'm at a total loss of how to attack properly with this sword. Dōmyōji is biting his nails nervously.
"Too scared to attack?" Hidaka smirks teasingly. He is having fun too, I can tell. I glance down at my sword after I manage to put some distance between us. I rotate the sword in my hand so I'm holding it normally once again.
"Why would I be scared to knock you on your butt?" I glare at him, gripping my sword with both hands with a smile showing up on my face. Hidaka smiles back.
I think back to all the Pirate sword fights I've watched when I sneaked into movie theaters. Good times. Might as well try some out. "En garde!" I yell running towards him, raising my sword high above my head.
I perform a front-flip slash, making use of my acrobatic skills. It's a pretty dramatic attack, but effective. Hidaka rather simply brings his sword up horizontally to block my strike. He doesn't even stumble. I fight back a blush. Am I that weak?
I start to swing my sword randomly, probably looking beyond piteous. But on the positive note, I am on the offensive now. Both of our swords clash against one anothers, remaining in contact. We both are pushing forward trying to overpower one another. I am quickly losing.
Darn, darn, darn it.
Hidaka smirks at me as he easily starts pushing me back. My mind goes into overdrive. I'm not ready to lose yet. I remove one of my hands from my sword. I throw my now free fist into his stomach, making him stagger back and look at me in disbelief.
"Yo-ho-ho." I laugh at his appalled face.
"I see you, Akira!" Dōmyōji applauses.
"That was a clever move on her part." Awashima compliments. Reisi's glasses start gleaming as he looks at my happy form.
"Indeed." He replies.
"Alright then Akira, looks like I'm going to have to end this now." Hidaka starts rushing forward and I get my sword ready.
"Actually, it's going to be the other way around—"
He skillfully disarms me with his sword. I pale. No! My bamboo sword goes flying a couple yards to the side, landing in front of Reisi. Everyone starts clapping, which means… the spar is over… and I lost. He disarmed me rather easily… could he have done that earlier? Did he go easy on me? My hands dig themselves into my hair in despair.
"How?!" I complain, pouting at Hidaka who is smiling in victory at me. My eye twitches, my sore loser nature kicking in.
I groan loudly, crossing my arms. I try to keep the pout on my face, but a smile quickly replaces it followed by a laugh. This loss feels strangely good. Maybe because I had a blast. I hold my hand out to Hidaka and he places his hand in mine.
"Okay, you won fair and square. Victory is yours." I smile.
… but victory won't be yours next time.
"You actually did a lot better than what I expected. I was worried I wouldn't be able to land a hit on you for a while. You'd make a good Pirate." Hidaka grins. I laugh with a small blush.
"You think? I guess it's kinda fun." I admit, letting go of his hand and clasping both of mine behind my back while shifting my weight.
"But, I guess this proves I'm not a loser." Hidaka smirks, "And I guess this means you have to walk the plank as agreed."
The color drains from my face. Then, I laugh out loud as I realize something. I smirk.
"Ha. You guys don't have a plank."
I am laying flat on the diving board at the pool, arms and legs wrapped around it and gripping it for dear life. The water is rippling in the wind. I can see the bottom of the pool but it is so far down. I gulp and squeeze my eyes shut as fear starts trying to strangle me. It is strangling me. My cheek is squished against the diving board as I grip it even tighter.
"I was kidding about walking the plank! I was kidding! Please don't make me do it! I'm a liar! A big fat liar! Okay I said it! The deal was a lie!" I whine loudly, visibly shaking.
I walked out on the diving board willingly, acting like I didn't have a fear of deep water. But when I got to the end, I lost my cool and this happened as a result. I'm too scared to be embarrassed. I actually start praying for help in my head.
"It's a heated pool if you're worried about it being cold." Daiki comments, sheepish sweat dripping down the side of his face.
"Actually… I think she's scared." Dōmyōji says, eyes wide as I shakily peek over at him.
"You can swim, can't you Seal?" Hidaka asks, blinking at me as he holds a towel meant for me.
They can't know!
"No! I-I can. Wait… I… uh, just need to jump off of it right?" I ask, slowly and shakily getting on my hands and knees. What if I jump in the direction the water isn't in?
"That's basically what walking the plank is, right? Just… jumping off?" Hidaka looks over to Dōmyōji for confirmation and he nods.
The rest of the Pirate Crew are in the distance, loading things into the trucks. Reisi however is standing at the opposite end of the pool and observing closely. My eyes met his and automatically I know he figured it out.
"Actually this may have to wait until tomorrow. We are just about ready to leave." Reisi says, arms crossing as he looks at his clansmen.
They hold back a sigh but salute. I run off the diving board and onto the solid ground. I almost feel like kissing the ground beneath me. My fearful quivers instantly die down.
"Be ready for tomorrow Akira!" Hidaka calls out before taking off in a jog with the rest of the Pirates off towards the trucks. They all wave at me and I wave back slowly in return with much effort.
I already have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a terrible day. I sigh, leaning forward and placing my hands on my knees. So badly I hope they forget about this whole "walking the plank" thing. Reisi walks over so he's standing behind me. His shadow falls over my form.
"I believe this is the third time I saved you, isn't it?" He asks, smirking down at me. I sigh yet again. He's right.
The incident with the crazy criminal, the bush, and now this.
"I guess so, huh?" I whisper weakly.
I straighten up and turn into his chest, deciding for once just to give in to the magnetic pull I've felt with him since day one. Just once. My face is buried in his coat. I feel his arms wrap around me, the same arms that made me feel safe that day. I lean into him, my chest warming at this unidentifiable feeling washing over me. It comforts me. My eyes close in content. I don't know why I enjoy being this close to him.
"Thank you, Reisi. You've actually saved me more than three times though."
"Have I?" He asks lowly. I feel his fingers run through my hair, making me feel all… tingly.
"Yeah." I nod against him and smile, my heart pounding loudly in glee.
You've saved me from continuing the rest of my life living alone. You've saved me from constantly vanishing from place to place... almost like thunder.
Dōmyōji, Daiki, and Hidaka peak around the corner of the building, eyeing their Captain and Akira embracing one another. Dōmyōji elbows Hidaka with a wide grin on his face.
"I knew they had a thing for each other!" Dōmyōji cheers silently. "How cute."
"Captain saved her from walking the plank. It was kind of obvious she didn't know how to swim." Hidaka crosses his arms with a smirk.
"I guess the rumors are true." Daiki smiles.
"Yes!" Dōmyōji pumps his fist in the air and sneaks back towards the trucks, with an amused Hidaka and chuckling Daiki.
Edited: 3/14/18